


And All Was As It Should Be

by aquatarius



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Feelings, Flushed Romance | Matesprits, Pale Romance | Moirallegiance, Pale-Red Vacillation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2016-06-08
Packaged: 2018-07-13 00:48:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7131368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquatarius/pseuds/aquatarius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Feferi's sea horse comes to her for comfort.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And All Was As It Should Be

Feferi hummed a calm tune as she ran the brush through her hair. She’d grown in the past sweeps. Her horns alone had grown a good foot, arching up so high they nearly scraped the ceilings she walked under. She wasn’t very tall, and had a good layer of fat on her. (It helped to keep her warm when she was swimming in the deeper depths of the sea.) Her thick hair trailed nearly down to her feet. When it was wet it dragged on the ground. 

She’d chosen a simple white gown for the day. White was the new color of the empire. Black was going out of style since Feferi was taking control and doing it in white. She tried to avoid fighting in it, since white had a tendency to show blood. Other blood colors were on her body, in jewelry and small bows and the like. And her own crown, of course, with a stone of her blood color set in it. 

Thankfully, it wasn’t one of the nights where she was claiming yet another part of the former empress’s empire. Little by little she was winning. Someday, she’d have to fight Meenah, but until that day…

Until that day, she would do it as peacefully as she could. She knew that it could not all be peaceful, but she could try to show peace. One or two places had already bent to her will, had surrendered when she came. Some were learning, and others would be taken care of. Tonight, though, tonight was a peaceful night. One where she could dress in white and talk to her people. 

There was a soft knock on the door. Feferi lifted her head up and looked at the doorway. There wasn’t very many people that would dare to knock on her door, but of those that would, there were only a couple that she wanted to see. She doubted she’d be lucky enough to receive one of those people. 

“Come in!” She called, making her voice as sweet as possible. She had an image to keep, after all. 

The door opened, and Equius stepped in. He’d grown as well, growing tall and lean. His muscle showed well through his uniform, but were not grossly huge. His broken horn had a metal extension now. Together, she thought, they must look like quite the couple, Feferi mused. 

He bowed low, hair falling in his face. Feferi giggled, hiding her mouth behind a hand. The smile she wore didn’t seem so fake anymore. Equius slung off his bow, and set it next to the door. 

Feferi waved him over, and he straightened and approached her. He fell on his knees when he came closer, and looked up to her. His face was drawn into a slight scowl. It normally was, but this one was more concerned than normal. Feferi reached forward and cupped his cheek in her palm. His warmth crept up her arm and warmed a place deep inside of her heart. 

“Hello.” She said. He rumbled softly, and twisted to kiss the palm of her hand. “Is everything all right? You don’t usually visit me.” 

It wasn’t completely untrue. He just didn’t visit her without some sort of warning or without being called. Equius was as busy as anyone else these days. But he came when he was called, and he came eagerly. He’d grown calm around her, and Feferi didn’t regret a single moment spent calming him. 

“I wished to see you, my empress.” He said. A trickle of sweat slid down his forehead, and Feferi dabbed it off with a handkerchief from her vanity. “I have some concerns. If you have the time to listen to them, I would be grateful.” 

“I always have the time for you, my sea horse. What about?” Feferi asked. Equius heaved a sigh. Feferi suspected she would not be leaving this room any time soon. She didn’t mind, though. 

“About the new empire you’re building. About myself. About all of this.” He said. His voice rumbled slightly. It was so deep and lovely. Feferi could’ve fallen for his voice alone, she believed. He was quiet for a beat, and Feferi was just starting to think he was done before he whispered out another thing, so quiet she almost missed it. “About us.”

“Us?” Feferi tipped her head to the side. “What about us?”

“I’m. Blue.” He said. He swallowed. “I am one of the higher blues, but I do not pretend to be anything other than a blue. A mere blue to your royal,” He licked his lips, and sweat trickled down his neck. Feferi dabbed it off patiently. “Pink.”

“It is my choice.” Feferi said. Her voice was firm. Maybe not firm enough. Equius didn’t look convinced. Feferi huffed, and drew her hands back. She crossed her arms. “I’m the empress. I can do as I please.”

“I, however, cannot.” He said. “I am a soldier, and I am a blue. My duty is not to court you. My duty is to protect you.”

“You’ll follow my orders, just like anyone else.” Feferi’s tone was too sharp and Equius frowned deeper. She swallowed and lifted her hands to stroke his cheeks, gently. She pretended the sweat on him was water. “I would never order you to be with me. But if anyone orders you to not be with me, just pretend that I have! Since I’m the highest blood, no one can go against my orders, can they?”

“N-no, your majesty.” Equius murmured. Feferi leaned forward and gently kissed his forehead. 

“And besides,” She continued. “Your duty is what I say it is. If I say you are allowed to court me, you are. Blue or not. Aaaaand, I can protect myself. I’m not helpless.” 

“But what about the judgement? What will people say? I’m a risk to your powers, my lady. People will disrespect you. Wouldn’t a violet suit you better? Or even a purple?” He said. Feferi got the distinct feeling he was grasping at straws. 

“I think I can deal with a few shelly rumors! It’s better that I have rumors about who I love then the sort of nasty things Meenah’s people spread about her.” Feferi said. “If all that they can find prong with me is that I love the wrong people, I think I’m fin. And I decide who suits me. Not anyone else.”

“Perhaps. But, what if you change your mind?” Equius kissed the palm of her hand, and Feferi rolled her eyes. 

“Now you’re being shelly. I won’t change my mind!” Feferi said. She booped his nose, and he nickered softly, making her burst into quiet giggled for a few moments.

“All right, my lady. If you’re quite sure.” Equius said. He rolled his shoulders, and Feferi could see the tension slipping out of them. 

“I am. And as for my empire, I’m worried aboat that too. But no longer will my people have to fear culling and the Condesce. No one will ever fear that again, so long as breath should be in my body.” She continued. She wrapped her arms around Equius’s neck and pulled him closer, until he was pressed against her chest. Relaxed as he was, he went easily. She rested her cheek against his full horn. “People will be cared for. They will. And my caring for them will give me the loyalty that the empress never had.” 

“What if they don’t want to follow you? Those other sea dwellers are violent creatures.” Equius pointed out. “They will not willingly give up what they’ve had for centuries. All of the clowns. The Highbloods. Me, even, not so long ago.”

“Change will be slow.” Feferi started to run her fingers through his hair, pulling it all behind him and straightening the few knots in them. “And for some, they will not want it. But low bloods will. And some highbloods. People will have heart changes, will realize the error of their ways. The old ones will die out and their descendants will be born into my world. In a thousand sweeps, this will all be behind us. We can manage this, Equius, we can. I promise.” 

Equius breathed out a trembling sigh and pressed his face into her shoulder. His arms slipped around her waist, barely touching. He was still so afraid of breaking her, even after all this time. He knew his own strength better than anyone, but Feferi wished she could feel him holding her tightly. She wished she could feel as safe in his arms as he did in hers. 

She slid her hands to his shoulders, then started to work them down, sliding them down his arms. She pushed his arms closer, leading them to be tight around her waist. Equius didn’t fight her, and she glubbed happily when they were tight enough for her liking. 

“There we are! Safe and sound. It’s just you and me, Equius.” Feferi said. “Just like you and me.”

For a few minutes, they sat like that, Equius quiet and Feferi humming. She stroked her fingers through his hair, and soon picked up a brush. She started to brush his locks. Before long, a soft purr rumbled out of him. Feferi giggled, and then sat up and nudged him off. 

“I’m going to brush your hair, and then you can brush mine, all right?” She asked. Equius nodded. He twisted and sat down crisscross apple sauce. Feferi got to brushing, quick, long strokes. She pulled his hair back as she did, gathering it all into a bunch. 

Equius rumbled quietly as she started to braid it, and she giggled quietly. She chose a bright pink hair band to tie it back with and cooed when she examined it. It was nearly perfect, certainly one of the better braids she’d done of late. 

“There! All done. Come around and do me, all bait?” She asked. Equius felt his braid, and gave a little nod before moving around Feferi. 

She offered him the brush and Equius took it. He started to brush her hair, much slower than Feferi had brushed his. He had, of course, his strength to worry about. He was fast about very little. Quickness meant he was clumsier and broke more things. 

“Are you really that worried?” Feferi asked. Equius grunted. She was quiet for a few moments, and focused on Equius brushing her hair. It was a lovely, relaxing feeling, and a purr began to rumble up in her throat. Equius pet her fin a few times when he heard it, then returned to his brushing. 

“I am worried. And with good reason.” Equius said. 

“I’m not saying you don’t have a good reason. I don’t like it when you’re worried.” She said. For a moment, she thought she might have spoken too quietly, then Equius heaved one of his loud sighs and leaned forward to kiss her head. She feared he would be angry at her for it. After all, empresses shouldn’t complain like that. 

“I know. I don’t like it when you’re worried, either. I’m sorry. But I have valid reasons to be.” He said. Feferi nodded. He was right, of course. It was still frustrating that she couldn’t fix it, that she couldn’t just order the feelings away. Infuriating, if she was being honest. That fury scared her, though. It reminded her of how much like her ancestor she could be. 

“I’m not spraying you don’t.” Feferi said. Her tone was too sharp again, and Equius’s hands paused, then continued, a bit rougher. 

“What are you saying?” He asked. Feferi bit her lip. She had to be careful with her next words, she knew. She didn’t want to anger him, and she didn’t want to become angry. 

“I’m glubbing that I don’t know what to do to make you un-worried.” She said. It sounded all right, and Equius only sighed again. His sighing was better than some of the things he could be doing or saying, she knew. It seemed that the older he got, the more he sighed. It was his way of letting one know his disapproval of things without being terribly insubordinate. Besides, the various tones of it could convey quite a bit. 

“I thank you for your concern, Feferi. I apologize that I am unable to fix my own issues.” He said. 

“You came to me so I could fix them.” Feferi pointed out. Equius started to pull her hair back. It was much too thick and long to do something as simple as a braid, but he began to work at it anyway. Feferi swallowed down her purrs again. “You said you were worried about yourself, as well.”

“…What if I’m culled?” He asked. Feferi’s fins twitched back and pressed against her skull.   
“What?” She asked. Her voice sounded distant to her own ears. 

“I could be culled for my mutation.” Equius said. “I’m a danger to others. In the Condesce’s empire, my mutation would be useful. I could be put to work as a warrior of some sort. But in your empire, what use will my strength have?”

“You can use it for something constructive.” Feferi said. She heard her own voice through a thin, cottony wall. 

“I am a danger to others.” He repeated. “By your own laws, I should be culled.”

“You’re learning to control it.” She said. Her voice was strained, tense with worry. “It’s my empire. No one can cull you if I say they can’t.”

“You would disobey your own laws?” He asked, an edge in his voice. 

“Yes!” Feferi snapped before she could stop herself. Then she realized what she’d said and she clamped her mouth shut. 

Equius rumbled and reached forward to tilt up her chin, make her look into the mirror. The front parts of her hair had been pulled back, French braided. He stared, and then kissed between her horns. 

“You’re very beautiful.” He said. “But you’re very foalish if you think you can exercise favoritism and suffer no repercussions.”

“They whale obey me.” Feferi said. He kissed the base of her horn, and set his hands on her shoulders. They were firm, cupping her shoulders and squeezing ever so slightly. 

“Or what? You’ll cull them?” He asked. Feferi blinked and Equius cleared his throat at once. “My apologies, my lady. I have over stepped my bounds.”

“N-no. No, Equius, I’ve said I want to hear my subjects thoughts, and yours, and I’m not angry.” Feferi said. Feferi wanted to be angry, but she forced the feelings down. It was struggle to get out the words, certainly, but the look on Equius’s face, a sort of warm pride, made the struggle worth it. 

“Thank you for your grace.” He murmered. He rubbed her shoulders. His touch was still so light, but it slowly grew firmer as he continued. When his grip grew too hard, Feferi winced and he lightened at once. “Apologies.”

“I forgive you. Shell we go to the throne room?” Feferi asked. Equius nodded, and drew his hands away. He stood and offered Feferi a hand. She took it. Sweat made it slightly slippery and hard to hold onto, but Feferi, as a sea dweller, was used to slippery things. 

Equius held onto her hand and led her to the door. He picked up his bow from where it was still leaning against the wall next to the door, and held it loosely in his free hand. Feferi smiled to him. They slipped out outside into the halls, and instantly, two guards stepped behind Feferi. They were sea dwellers, defectors from her ancestor’s army. One of them eyed Equius’s bow, and then him. She sighed through her nose and began to walk. Someday, she promised herself, they’d realize Equius wasn’t a threat, and wasn’t beneath them. 

She kept hold of Equius’s hand as she walked. Equius glanced around as they did, ears pricked up and listening for any sign of danger to his empress. Feferi couldn’t help but giggle as a nearby servant dropped a plate and Equius’s head swiveled around to give them a death glare. They cringed under his gaze and quickly made off. 

“You worry too much, Equius.” Feferi said. He glanced down at her and then back to looking around. With a huff, she squeezed onto his hand. Equius looked back down. She pouted, sticking out her lower lip, and he smiled weakly. 

“My apologies, my lady.” Equis said. 

Fefer stopped in the hall and turned to face him completely. She pulled him to face her as well, then reached up with her hands. Equius bent down, nuzzling into her hands. She cupped his cheeks, and pulled his head down as she went up on her tip toes. 

A moment later, her lips met his in a gentle kiss. Equius grunted softly in surprise. Feferi held the kiss for a moment, then drew back. She dotted a few kisses on his nose and cheeks, then let him go and dropped back down. 

“There. Sea? Nothing bad happened.” She said, smiling sweetly up to him. He cleared his throat and wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt. 

“Y-yes, that demonstration was quite….effective.” He murmured. Feferi glanced back at her guards. One was looking stubbornly at the floor, and the other was looking at them with a look of concern. He met Feferi’s gaze for half a second, then jumped and looked away. 

Equius sighed and took Feferi’s hands. He rubbed her knuckles with his thumb, then started to pull her down the hall again. The rest of the walk to Feferi’s throne room was relatively peaceful. 

The guards stepped around them and threw open the doors when they got there, showing the long hall. Feferi’s throne was simple, and somewhat more delicate then the one her ancestor had. She walked over to the chair, walking slowly and with all the grace she could muster. Equius walked with her, keeping just a step behind and to her left. His presence was a reminder that no one would dare to attack her. No one would dare go up against Equius. When Feferi reached the throne, she turned and lowered herself onto the throne. Equius stood at her right, bow held loosely in his hand. 

Feferi nodded to the guards to signal that they could begin to allow people to come in to speak with her. The first person entered the room and knelt down in front of Feferi. Feferi tilted up her chin, and set back her shoulders. 

“Speak without fear, my subject.” Feferi said. Beside her, Equius rumbled soothingly. And all was as it should be.

**Author's Note:**

> Trade for Lotsoffantrolls!


End file.
